Martes, Setyembre 15, 2015

Should you eat roasted pumpkin seeds?

As October gets closer, many children look forward to an event that’s singular in experience–Halloween. As early as weeks before the actual holiday, children start preparing for that day, and one of the most creative and enjoyable things they do is carve a pumpkin for a jack-o’-lantern.

pumpkin-seeds-teeth
As a parent, though, the activity is unique for a different reason–cleaning up after a pumpkin carving can be an experience of its own. Many families make the clean-up more rewarding is by “reusing” one the ingredients thrown out while carving–the pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds can be roasted to create a tasty and convenient post-carving snack.
But is eating pumpkin seeds really a good idea? To answer this question, Dr. Patrick Morrissey from Boones Ferry Dental explains some of the dental health implications of eating roasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds might not seem like a lot at first sight, but they actually contain a variety of vitamins and minerals that are very beneficial to a person’s health as a whole. These include but are not limited to traces of:

  • Magnesium, which helps facilitate bone and tooth growth
  • Manganese, which promote healthy bone structure and growth
  • Zinc, which boosts a person’s immune system
  • Iron, used in the production of healthy red blood cells
  • Calcium, which is used to strengthen bone and tooth mass alike

Pumpkin seeds are nutritionally on par with other types of seeds and can benefit a person’s health in many lesser-known ways. Roasting pumpkin seeds, then, is a good way to take advantage of the nutrients naturally found in the plant.

Pumpkin Seeds and Teeth

It would be enough to roast pumpkin seeds based on just the vitamin and minerals found in the seeds, but the benefits of pumpkin seeds goes further than that. As dentists have found out, pumpkin seeds can be good for the teeth.

Part of the benefit does stem from the mineral traces in the seeds. Components of pumpkin seeds like magnesium and calcium are typically described as beneficial to the bones, but these same minerals can provide extra strength and durability to the teeth. Eating pumpkin seeds can cause your body to repair the enamel surfaces of the teeth over time.

However, more of the benefit from pumpkin seeds comes from the fact that the process of chewing on the seeds can spur saliva development. As the body’s natural way of cleaning the mouth and preserving the teeth, saliva is a crucial aspect of oral health. Foods that catalyze saliva production, then, help the teeth help preserve themselves.

Of course, no food is ever effective enough to replace good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. To maintain your oral health, you should not only focus on your diet but also constantly brush your teeth and visit the dental. Schedule an appointment today with Dr. Morrissey from Boones Ferry Dental by calling (503) 699-6699 or by visiting the website boonesferrydental.com to get your biannual checkup!

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